PETER HISCOCK

Peter Hiscock began his career as a radio announcer on Adelaide’s 5AD, later moving to 5SE in Mount Gambier where he started dabbling in songwriting. He teamed up with Johnny Mac, who recorded ''Pink Champagne And A Room Full Of Roses'' in 1964. Backed by The Seekers and also released in America, the song made Johnny Mac the first South Australian to hit the American charts. Hiscock continued writing for Mac but eventually stepped up to the microphone himself, debuting on record with ''Hooray For The Kind Of Luck / I’d Rather Have It There Than Anywhere'', backed by Mac’s band The Starliners and released on the Bluebird label in 1965. Some of his songs were also covered by artists like Judy Stone, Little Pattie, Bill Mullins, James Pegler, and Canadian-American country star Hank Snow.

In a case of life imitating art, on May 26, 1971, Australia was gripped by the “Great Plane Robbery.” Around noon, the Australian Federal Police received a call from a man calling himself “Mr Brown,” claiming there was a bomb on Qantas flight 755 from Sydney to Hong Kong. He said it would detonate if the plane dropped below 6,500 meters unless authorities paid $500,000 in unmarked $20 notes within hours. With 128 lives at stake, the nation watched anxiously. Eventually, the culprit was caught, and Hiscock quickly penned new lyrics to the tune of ''Click Go The Shears''. The song climbed to #16 on Sydney’s 2SM chart and #30 nationally. Festival bought the nonexclusive world rights for $400. It would be Hiscock’s only hit. Peter died in the mid 70s from a brain tumour.

SINGLES
''Hooray For The Kind Of Luck / I'd Rather Have It There Than Anywhere'' [with The Starliners] 1965 Bluebird
''A Certain Mr. Brown (#30) / The Battle Of Daffodil Hill'' 1971 Festival
''An Unfamiliar Kind Of Man / McGuthrie Town'' 1971 Festival

EPs

'A Certain Mr. Brown' 1971 Festival

References

https://www.top100singles.net